Process of producing coffeelike product



Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN I. KELLOGG, OF BATTLE CREEK, .MICI-IIGAN, ASSIGNOR '10 KELLOGG COMPANY, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 'OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING COFFEELIKE PRODUCT.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. .KELLooo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Processes of Producing Coifeelike Products, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of (0:) coffee-like products, (6) beverages or percolates therefrom, and (0) dry soluble extracts secured from said beverages or percolates.

The objects of my invention are to improve the flavor and to lessen the expense of producing such products.

I accomplish these results in the manner hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the method and products may be made within the scope of the claims and as indicated by the variations in the different claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I first select good healthy grain berries of wheat and rye. However, barley or any other cereals may be used which can be sprounted and malted, but I prefer to use wheat and rye.

These grains are soaked in cold water for from 36 to 48 hours, the water being changed at intervals of three or six times during the soaking process.

The water is then drained off the grains,

the grains spread out on a suitable surface.

to a thickness of 10 to 14" and allowed to sprout; care being taken not toallow the grains to over-heat during the sprouting process. The grains are turned over at intervals. The sprouting process generally takes from 4 to 6 days, according to the temperature of the room. .Of course the sprouting may be carried on to a greater or lesser extent according to the result desired.

The grain is then placed in a dryer and dried at a very low temperature. I prefer to use a temperature of about 90 degrees. This slow drying process may take place for 3 tot days or the temperature may be raised after the 3rd day to 120 degrees for 12 hours and later to 140 or 150 degrees. The grains being now dried are ready for further processing.

The malted grain at this point may be Application filed February 2, 1921. Serial m5. 441,815.

roasted and a percolate and extract Inadetherefrom, the advantages over a cooked grain being that malted grain after roastmg will give a much greater yield and a better flavor than raw roasted grains or cooked grain.

However, I prefer to put the grain through a further process of inversion, as follows: First cover the grains with water 'not to exceed 155 to 159 degrees Fahr. The

grains should be kept at this temperature from 30 minutes to two hours (I prefer to use the longer period), and are kept in agitation so as to remain at constant temperature. However, this is not necessary.

After the inversion process, the water in which the grains are inverted contains a considerable quantity of sweetish extract which consists largely of maltose, being a starch conversion which has taken place in the grain during the inverting process.

The grains are now drained from the water extract and dried and made ready for roasting.

The liquid extract issaved, as it contains enzymes and is to be used in converting the starch found in ordinary wheat bran into maltose. The bran is added to the malt extract liquid and kept in constant agitation at a temperature of 155 to 158 deg. Fahr. At this temperature the enzymes contained in the malt extract convert the bran starches into maltose. All of the liquid extract obtained from the grains is utilized in this .manner. This extract is also found to-contain a sweetish bitter flavor which is very desirable in the finishediproduct.

The bran which has been thus treated is then dried and made ready for roasting.

any raw starches which may be found in the grains or bran.

After the roasting process the rye and wheat grains are then ound and mixed with the roasted bran an percolated by any ordinaly method. After the percolation process the extract is evaporated down-into a thick syrup to about 18 degrees Baum a vacuum pan. The syrup is then dried by any ordinary d er such as shelf vacuum dr er or rotary rum vacuum dryer.

t is found that this process produces a yield of from 40 to 45% of solid soluble extractive material from the roasted grains. Whereas in the ordinary method of goasting the raw grains would yield less than The malting also causes the grains to 'swell up to about one-third larger than their natural size after the roasting process, whereas in the usual process of roastmg raw or uncooked grains, the grains generally shrink in size during the roasting process.

This new process increases the yield of extract obtained from cereals and 'ves a flavor which closely resembles that 0 roasted coifee, producing a yield much greater than has ever been produced from roasted cereal or grains by any other process known to me.

During the malting process the sprouts obtained from the wheat and rye ma be separated from the grains if desired. ow-

ever, I prefer to use them as they later develop during the roasting process a sweetish bitter taste which gives the product a more decided cofi'ee flavor.

Another modification. of the invention 'msists in malting the grain and then, in-

stead of inverting it as described, cooking it in a revolving cooker or in any other suitable .way for 15 minutes, more or less, at 15 lbs. steam pressure, more or less. The grain, preferably is covered with water before the steam pressure is turned on. If desired the malted ain may be cooked in an open cooker. 'l lie malted and cooked grain is then dried and roasted, and the percolating, evaporating and drying steps are carried out as heretofore described.

What is claimed as new is 1. A process of producing a cofi'ee-lik product which consists in sprouting, inverting and roasting grain, converting bran with the inversion liquid from the grain, roasting the bran, then mixing the roasted bran withthe roasted grain.

2. A method consisting in sprouting, drying, inverting, roasting and grinding gram and mixing the same with inverted and roasted bran.

3. A method consisting in causing suitable grain to sprout, dryin the same, inverting and again drying t e dried grain, converting bran starches into maltose by soaking bran in the inversion liquid from the grains, then roasting the grain and bran separatelyand mixing the same.

JOHN L. KELLOGG. 

